Brazil's military budget reached approximately USD 23.9 billion in 2025, a 13% increase, solidifying its position as South America's top spender. Uruguay also experienced one of the region's largest relative increases in military expenditure.

<p> <img alt="The most striking data point in the region corresponds to Uruguay, which moved to a military budget of USD 577.2 million in 2025, an increase of nearly 80% in five years. " height="80" src="https://en.mercopress.com/data/cache/noticias/110151/100x80/br.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 12px 6px 0; border: 1px solid #333;" width="100" /> Brazil consolidated its position as South America's leading defense spender during 2025, with a military budget of approximat...